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| Have you ever felt down? Cried and Cried but really did not know what was wrong? Or Everything around you made you sad? Well, You could be suffering from an illness called Major Depression.... Read on... |
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| Symptoms Of Depression: * No interest or peasure in things that usually are enjoyed * Feeling Sad or Numb * Crying easily or for no reason * Feeling run down or Very tired, wanting to sleep all the time * Feeling restless and Irritable and Can not sleep * Having feelings of being worthless and Inadequate * Feelings of guilt about situations in your life * Change in appetite, Unintentional weight gain or weight loss * Trouble remembering things, Making appropriate decisions, and Consentrating * Sudden Physical problems such as Headaches, Backaches, or digestive problems * Frequent thoughts about death or suicide |
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| What is Depression?? Everyone feels down from time to time, and that is normal! What the doctors are talking about when they speak of depression is a medical Illness called Major Depression! When someone has Depression, they have Some or all of the below symptoms nearly every day, all day, for 2 weeks or longer. Depression is a medical illness much like diabetes, High blood pressure or Acid Reflux. People do not choose to be depressed, they are not weak, "crazy" or anything like that, it is an illness. This Illness affects 17% of people at one time in their life or another and some cases are more serious then others. There are also cases of Minor depression in which the symptoms are less severe. Depression is more commonly found in women then in men. |
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| What Causes Depression?? There are chemicals in your brain that control your moods and feelings. Sometimes your brain does not respond to these chemicals properly or you do not have enough of these chemicals to do the job correctly. When these things happen, you may become depressed. Depression can also be caused by genetics (meaning it runs in families). Depression can also be caused by events that happen in your life such as a death of a loved one, Loss of a job, divorce etc. Taking certain medications, abusing drugs or alcohol or having other illnesses can also lead to depression. Depression is NOT caused by a personal weakness or uinability to cope, It is an illness!! |
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| Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression: If you are having symptoms of depression, be sure to tell your doctor so that you can get the help that you need. Your doctor may ask you questions about your symptoms, Your overall health and your family's history of health problems. Your doctor may also give you a physical exam and run some other tests. Depression can often be treated with medication, counseling or both. Both of these treatments are very effective. Medication may be particularly important in severe depression. Ask your doctor which treatment would be the best for you and your condition. |
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| Medications: Medications used for Depression are called Anti-Depressants. They help to correct the problems with the chemicals that are in your brain that control your moods and feelings. (Also called a chemical imbalance) These Anti-Depressants can cause some side effects, but these side effects usually go away with time and are not serious. How long you will have to continus to take this medication will depend on your depression. The anti-depressants can begin to work right away or you may have to wait 6 to 8 weeks for the full benifit of these drugs. Usually it is best to take these medications for up to 6 months. NEVER stop taking Medications without speaking to your doctor first. |
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| For More Information and Help: The National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association 730 N. Franklin St. Suite 501 Chicago, Illinois 60610 Telephone: 800- 826-3632 http://www.ndmd.org The National Institute Of Mental Health 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-85 Rockville, MD. 20857 Telephone: 800-421-4211 http://www. nimh.nih.gov The American Psychiatric Association Telephone: 800-35-PSYCH http://www.psych.org National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Telephone: 800-950-NAMI http://www.nami.org National Mental Health Association Telephone: 800-969-NMHA http://www.nmha.org ****National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-Suicide/ 800-784-2433 For more Hotline numbers in your state please CLICK HERE Depression can be very serious and we want you to be able to find help when you need it!!! |
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